Portable lighter



May 1, 1928. 1,667,835

w. H. BLAKE PORTABLE LIGHTER Filed June 11, 1927 ,Ziiaevi; vi il d??? flfizaz'eg Patented May I, 1928.

v I 1,667,835 PAT NT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 1H. BLAKE, E ATTLEBoRo, MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR To JAMES E. BLAKE 00., 0E AT LEEoRo, MASSACHUSETTS, A GORPORATION 0 MASSACHUSETTS PORTABLE LIGHTER.

@ Application filed June 11, 192%. Serial N... 198,066.

My invention relatesto portable or pocket li hters of the type WllQl'Qlll a fuel supplied wick is ignited by cooperating abrading and pyrophoric elements.

6 The essential objects of my invention are to produce the spark automatically rather than manually; to maintain the abrading element stationary relatively to the'fiint or.

pyrophoric element; to facilitate, the sub- 10 stitution of abrading elements; to utilize the wick carrying member in elevating the operating arm; to facilitate the locking and release of the operating arm; to utilize said arm as a receptacle for the pyrophoric element and its impelling mechanism; and to same in open position, showing parts in cen tral vertical section, Figure 3, atop plan view of the closed lighter,

Figure 4, a section on line 4-4 of Figure Figure 5, a fragmentary side elevation of 36 the upper portion of the same, one of .the

journal ears being broken away, and

Figure 6, an elevation similar. to that of Figure 5, but showing the operating arm elevated. Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

The casing or body of my igniter-'may be of any form most convenient for carrying the operating parts. In the-form thereof herein shown the hollow body 9 is of rectangular cross section and vertically elongated and forms a fuel chamber 10. The top 12 has a threaded opening 14 to engage the threaded upper portion 16 of a tubular guide 17 whose upper extremity has a closure 18 and a closure 19 resting upon the body top 9. A-detachable cap 20 is attached to the lower end of the tube either frictionally, or by threads 22 and 23 upon,

diameter than that of the guide 17 there is a resulting annular space 29 in which is a helical spring 30 having one end resting upon the .cap 20 and its other endabutting against an annular shoulder 31 upon an intermediate portion of the tube 26. This shoulder also serves as a stop cooperating with the closure 18 to limit the upward travel of the wick tube under the impulse of thespring. There is a second annular shoul-. der 33 supported upon the wick carrying nipple 34'threaded in the outer end of the wick tube 2(. Ajwick 35 frictionallyen 'aged in the tube, and nipple depends from the lower end thereofll-into the chamber 10.

Integral f with-the top of the casing, or

. tubular pin or pintle 42 having flanged over ends 43. This pintle traverses a hole 45 through a steel sparking or friction'segment 47 whose flat lower face or peripheral portion 48 rest-s upon or is fixed to the elevation 37, as shown in Figure 2. The

curved or major portion of the segments periphery is provided with saw teeth or other serrations 49. ,It will be noted that the serrated member 47 is rigidly mounted, that is to say is not circularly movable.

The member carrying the flint .or pyrophoric element is a tubular arm indicated generally by 51. In this instance the arm comprises an outer tubular casing 53 of enlarged diameter at its outer end, as at 54, and closed by an end wall 55 provided with a central perforation 56. An intermediate portion of the arm has an elliptical opening 58 bounded by a depending flange 59. The inner end 60 of thecasing 53 is slightly flattened laterally and substantiall circular. The rear and bottom portions of t e part 60 are cut away or bifurcated, forming ears 61.

- The latter are provided with oppositely dis-- posed oblong longitudinal slots 62', as shown in Figures 5 and-6, through which loosely pass the pintle 42 by which the arm is pivotally mounted. The arm portion 60 forms a partial housing for the element 47, while the ear portions 61 slidably engage the ears 39. Fixed by friction, solder, or otherwise in the casing 53 longitudinally thereof is a guide tube 64 whose outer end registers in the perforation 56, and whose inner end terminates at a point adjacent the casing portion 60. In the latter end of the tube and projecting therefrom is slidably mounted a int or pyrophoric member 66 pressed into contact with the segment serrations 49 by a helical spring 68 in the tube engaging said member at one end, and pressing at its outer end against the threaded shank 69 of an adjustin screw 70. The outer end of the tube 64 is t needed, as at 72, to receive said-shank,

and the head 74 of the screw 7 O is rounded. By turning this head the pressure of the element 66 upon the element 47 may be increased or diminished. When the arm is depressed the flange 59 registers with the shoulder 33 and the wick 35 enters the opening 58.

A catch member for the operating arm is provided and comprises a post 76 fixed to the top of the casing terminating in a rearwardl directed cam projection 77 having a vertically inclined top face 78, and a horizontal bottom face 79. This cooperates with a perforation 81 in the hollow portion 54 of the operating arm. B Y reason of the elongated slots 62, when he arm is depressed and is passing down over the inclined face 78 of the cam the arm has a rearward longitudinal movement, but when the arm has reached the face 79 the spring 68 snaps the arm back into locked position below the latter face.

To operate my device, the parts being in thepositions shown in Figure 1, the operator presses his thumb against the face of the element 74 of the arm 51 which releases the latter from the catch, whereupon the arm is violently impelled upwardly and rearwardly in an are by the impulse of the spring 30 which elevates the wick tube 26. The movement of the element 66 over the element 47 induces sparks which ignite the exposed end of the wick 35. The open position is shown in Figures 2 and 6. To look the parts, the arm 51 is downwardly pushed thereby depressing the wick tube 26 and occluding, within the arm opening 58, the flame of the wick.

I claim:

1. A portable lighter comprising a casing, a tube yieldingly mounted in the casing and projecting therefrom, an ignitable element in the tube, a non-rotatably friction element and means for igniting said ignitable element including a swinging arm engageable with the tube.

2. A portable lighter comprising a casing=, ignition means upon the casing including a pivoted arm and a non-rotatable friction element, a tube slidably mounted in the casing abutting against the arm, an ignitable element in the tube, and a spring engaging the tube for rotating the arm.

3. A portable lighter comprising a casing, ignition means upon the casing including a pivoted arm provided with an opening, a non-rotatable friction element, a tubular guide housed in the casing, a cap upon the inner end of the guide provided with a perforation, a tube slidably mounted in the guide and projecting from the tube engageable with the arm, an ignitablc element in the tube extending through the perforation registerable in said opening, and a comprfissible spring in the cap supporting the tu e.

4. A portable lighter comprising a casing, ears carried thereby, a friction element nonrotatably supported in the casing between the ears, a pintle in the cars, a hollow arm provided at one end with oblong longitudinally disposed slots in which the pintle is slidable, and provided in its opposite end with a perforation, a pyrophoric element in the arm engaging the friction element, a spring in the arm engaging the pyrophoric element, a catch member rigidly mounted upon the casing provided with a cam face registerablc in the perforation, and a yieldable member slidably mounted in the casing abutting against an intermediate portion of the arm.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

WILLIAM H. BLAKE. 

